Sunday, March 17, 2013

John Considine

Fulton Journal
April 7, 1899

  John Considine Dies Unexpectedly at his Home Wednesday morning.

   This community was shocked and saddened Wednesday morning by the news of the sudden death of John Considine, which occurred at his home that morning.
He had been in the street the day before and went to the polls and voted.  He was apparently in his usual health.  Wednesday morning when he got up he complained of not feeling well and sat down on the edge of the bed.  Continuing to feel badly he laid down asked that the priest be sent for, but before any of the family could leave the house he died.
   The deceased was born in county Clare, Ireland, in 1825, and was, therefore, in his seventy-fourth year.  He came to this country landing in New York City, July 4, 1846, and settled in New York where he resided till 1857 when he came to Fulton.  April 16 , 1854, at Etlicottville, Cattaragus county, N.Y. he was married to Miss Hannah Flanagan.  To Mr. and Mrs. Considine eleven children were born as follows: Robert, who lives in Fulton; Will J. who resides in Monroe, Wis, John J. who was drowned off the steamboat John A. Wood near Island No. 10 near Memphis, Feb. 14, 1883; Frank, whose home is in this city; May, who became the wife of J.J. Martin and died May 6, 1892; E.H. of Rock Island, Daniel, of Prophetstown, Dennis of Chicago; Julia, who married E.J. Lee and is now at home, S.A. and Maggie, who are also at home.  Beside his wife and children he leaves one brother, Patrick,who lives in Chicago and two sisters, May, now Mrs. Daley and lives in New Jersey, and Mrs. Margaret Gorman, who lives in Brooklyn.
    For twenty-seven years Mr. Considine had resided in the stone house on the bank of the Mississippi, which is probably the oldest built residence left intact in Fulton and during that time he won a high place in the regard of his neighbors and friends.  He was quiet, energetic, yet unassuming in manner, but was of generous impulses, and ever proved a kind husband and father, a pleasant neighbor and an honest industrious and conscientious citizen.  He had served the city as street commissioner for three terms and was always found fatithful to this trust.
      The funeral was held this forenoon at 10 o'clock, solemn high mass in the Catholic church, and burial in the Catholic cemetery.

Infrastructure

Fulton Journal
March 17, 1899

As T.B. Jones was moving the household goods of C.C. Carpenter across the street to the Adams house this week he struck a rut and a hard coal stove was thrown off the wagon and broken into pieces.  Still some peopole don't think our streets need any improvement.

J.M. Fay

Fulton Journal
March 17, 1899

   It was just thirty-three years Thursday since J.M. Fay came to Fulton and during all that time he has occupied the same residence.  He is now sixty years of age and has lived in only two houses in his life.  The first twenty-seven years of his life were passed in the house in which he was born, and he moved directly from there to this city and into the one he now occupies.  In the thirty-three years he has been a resident of Fulton, he has won the respect of a large circle of friends who hope that he and his wife may still occupy their present home many years to come.

Blind Charlie

Fulton Journal
August 15, 1899

Charles Baker, of Ustick, known to the people of this section as "Blind Charlie" and his wife are in poor circumstances.  He has been running a store at the bluffs northeast of town a few miles for many years.  But the profits were small and even with donations from neighbors and help from the town it has been a hard struggle to live.  Old age and sickness have prostrated the unfortunate man, and his wife who has done all she could to care for him finds that her health is broken by the infirmities of age and she can no longer perform their simple household duties.  The neighbors after counseling with the supervisor went to Mr. and Mrs. Baker and kindly told them that they would receive better care and all the necessaries and many comforts of life at the county house, and advised them to prepare for the inevitable as it was no longer safe or humane to leave them without some attendant to care for them.  The aged couple who have endured many misfortunes will be removed to the county infirmary within a few days, although they broke down and wept at the thoughts of never again having a home of their own.

Orphan Boy

Fulton Journal
May 16, 1899

A young orphan boy, eleven years old, who was adopted from an ophan asylum at Chicago by S.G. Hunter, of Amboy, was killed at the Hunter farm Saturday morning.  He had been driving a four horse team on a pulverizer, and it is thought that he slipped from the plank on which he was sitting.  It had been noticed that the horses stood in one place in the field for several hours, and this finally led to an investigation as to the cause.  The boy was found lying beside the pulverizer.  There was a large gash in the right leg; an artery had been cut.  The boy bled to death.--Sterling Standard

"Jack" is Dead

Fulton Journal, Fulton, Illinois
September 19, 1899

John Stuart's Famous Mule Dies at the Age of Thirty-one Years.
 For twenty-eight years John Stuart, of this city, owned a brown colored mule that he called "Jack." Every resident of Fulton during that period must have known the patient and intelligent animal, as all the members of Mr. Stuart's family were in the habit of driving "Jack" single to a buggy.  A good single carriage animal he made, too.  Mr. Stuart became the owner of "Jack" in 1871, when he was three years old, and has had him ever since.  This makes the age of this mule to be thirty-one years at the time of his death, which was last Sunday in Cottle's pasture.  At one time when "Jack" was young Mr. Stuart was offered $150 in gold for him, but refused to part with him.
Many years ago when the streets of Fulton were lighted by kerosene street lamps on posts at numerous street corners, Simon Stuart, a mere lad at the time, acted as lamplighter for the city, and every evening he would mount"Jack" and ride the rounds of the street lamps.  When "Jack" came to where there was a lamp post he would go straight up to it, and stand quietly while Simon would stand on the animal's back and light the lamp. "Jack"  got so after a while that he knew the location of every lamp post and would go from one to the other almost without being guided.  Although he was only a mule, he was honest, patient, gentle, obedient and faithful and had more horse sense than lots of men that inhabit this mundane sphere.